Lecornu's budget deadlock: Four ways France's PM could break the impasse

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's minority government faces a difficult budget season as opposition parties resist his deficit-cutting plans ahead of the April-May presidential election, with borrowing costs at their highest since 2022. The budget bill is being reviewed in parliament, where a vote on taxation has been delayed to October 27 due to numerous amendments, with approved changes already worsening the deficit by €10 billion. The government may invoke Article 49.3 to force passage without a vote, risking a no-confidence motion and potential defeat. If no budget passes within 70 days, the government could use an emergency rollover law, which would freeze investment and widen the deficit, or attempt a never-used ordinance budget bypassing parliament, likely triggering a no-confidence vote and leaving the cabinet in a caretaker role.